The Maple Tree
by NoxPersona9
Summary: In the final battle between the Maple Alliance and the Black Mage, a powerful magic pulls everyone from Maple World into a new world where, quite ironically, Shade is the only Hero who remembers his former life. Now, as a student in Maple High School, he must reunite the Alliance and uncover a sinister plot that threatens to destroy all he holds dear. High School AU.
1. Pull Down the Shade

**THE MAPLE TREE  
Chapter 1: Pull Down the Shade**

 **Hey guys! I'm back after what seems to be** ** _forever_** **and I'm happy to say that I have a new story for you all! This story is a high school AU, but it's still going to have ties to Maple World. Rated T for language and some mature themes. All rights belong to Nexon. Anyways, please review and enjoy!**

* * *

I awoke very suddenly as an alarm clock blared on a nightstand. I reached over to silence it before lifting myself up and climbing off the bed.

" _What... how am I still alive? I remember... the Black Mage... the Maple Alliance went to the Temple of Time to fight him. I... sacrificed myself... to save the other Heroes. But then... if I'm supposed to be dead... where am I?"_

I took a look around the room. The walls were ghost-blue, bare, and perfectly pristine. Aside from the large four-post bed and nightstand, the room was completely empty. There was a closet opposite to the bed, its door slightly ajar. Next to it was a mirror, slightly cracked on the edges. I walked toward it and took a good look at myself. I was wearing a simple grey shirt and drawstring pajama shorts. Interestingly, my skin was completely healed of all the scars and bruises I'd accumulated in all my battles. But what shocked me was that I seemed to have _shrunk_ about half a foot.

 _"I don't think I've been this tall since I was... fourteen?!_ "

I rushed to the door and ran downstairs to the living room. The house looked extremely expensive - the chandeliers were made of crystal, the appliances were cutting-edge, and the backyard had a - " _Oh Rhinne, is that a pool or an ocean?"_

I looked at the (diamond-studded) grandfather clock: 8:15 AM. Just then, I heard someone come down the stairs.

"Darling, hurry up! You're going to be late for school." the voice said.

I looked at the source of the voice, and the blood in my body chilled. A tall red-haired woman with golden-flecked eyes towered over me. Her blood-red lips and pointed teeth were formed into a crooked grin, and she was garbed only in black lingerie. My face burned red and I immediately turned away as she gave a wicked laugh.

"I'm afraid your father and I were a bit too loud last night. I hope we didn't disturb your sleep." she said. "After all, today is a very special day indeed!"  
"I'm sorry, what?" I croaked, my face still turned away.  
"Your first day at Maple High School! Oh, my darling baby is growing up so fast!" she exclaimed. "You're running a bit too late for breakfast, so I'll have the maid pack a bigger lunch for you. You should go and get dressed."

Nodding silently, I quickly made my way upstairs, my mind working furiously.

 _"That was Hilla._ Hilla. _The Witch of Azwan. One of the Black Mage's commanders. What in Rhinne's name is she doing here? And where the hell am I?"_

From my closet, I quickly threw on a red T-shirt, a pair of black jeans, and high-top sneakers. I went downstairs, where I saw Hilla, who thankfully had the decency to put on a pink bathrobe, sipping a cup of coffee. Seeing me coming down, she smiled.

"Since it's your first day, your father says that he'll be glad to drive you to school today."  
"Oh. Um... great!" I said uncomfortably.

I walked to the front door, noticing that she still kept smiling at me. I hurriedly opened the door and walked out to the driveway. A black Jaguar was parked on the sidewalk, its windows tinted so that I couldn't see inside it. Hesitantly, I approached it and opened the door, taking a seat in the back.

"Did you sleep well, son?" the driver asked.  
"Um.. f-fine. I guess." I stammered.  
"Ah, did your mom and I keep you up last night?" he chuckled.  
"N-no. I slept straight through all that."  
"Heh heh, we'll try to tone it down next time."  
"All right, I guess."

 _"This is getting me nowhere."_

"Hey, listen... dad. At school, y'know how have to fill our those emergency contact forms? Well, I kind of - forgot - what to fill out for those. So could you give me a quick run-through of what to put down for it?"  
"School's got you already panicked, huh? Well, I suppose you already know who your old man is - Magnus Nova, founder and owner of Heliseum Motors. And your mom - Hilla Nova - is the best homemaker, wife, and mother in any world!"

 _"Magnus and Hilla Nova- they're married? And that means - oh Rhinne, am I their_ son?!"

"Well, here we are! Maple High School: the best school in the state!" Magnus exclaimed. "Now, don't forget your backpack, and give Principal Black my best."

Still dazed, I stumbled out of the car with my stuff and walked towards the school, my mind working furiously.

" _Okay, okay, calm down. So somehow when I sacrificed my existance to activate the time seal, I was sent to some alternate reality where I'm the only one who seems to remember life in Maple World. I can't use any of my powers, and this fourteen-year-old body really hinders my hand-to-hand combat skills. But if Hilla and Magnus are here, then I'm sure that the other Heroes must be too. I just hope that someone else has their memori-"_

"Hey watch where you're going, freshman!" a girl snapped.

I looked behind me to see a tall, blonde girl standing with her friend. She wore a simple white top and denim skirt, and was staring at me with intense, angry sky-blue eyes.

" _Mercedes_..."

"These are the latest Gucci mid-heel pumps in metallic silver, and now you've gotten your filthy shoeprints on it!" she angrily exclaimed.  
"Oh my god, Merc!" her friend exclaimed. "Those aren't even supposed to hit the shelves until December!"  
"Don't you think I know that, Danika?" Mercedes snapped. "This was an early birthday present from Daddy - what am I supposed to tell him now?"

 _"Wow. Who knew Mercedes could be such a total bitch."_

"What did you just say?" Mercedes hissed.

" _Oh snap, did I just say that out loud?"_

"Danika, I think the freshman here needs to learn his place." Mercedes said.  
"Yeah, I totally agree!" Danika exclaimed sycophantically.

Mercedes grabbed me by the front of my shirt and slammed me into the lockers behind me. Pinning me against the lockers, she raised her purse to strike, when suddenly:

"Woah, what's going on over here?" a voice called out.

We turned to see a tall tanned girl walking up to us. Her hair was dyed a snowy silver and worn in a long ponytail. She wore a revealing green top , a skimpy short skirt, and black leather combat boots. Her icy-blue eyes narrowed at the blonde as she shoved past Danika.

"So this is what it's come to, Sylvia? Picking on freshmen?" she asked calmly.  
"Shut your mouth, Evergreen. Or I'll clamp it down for you." Mercedes snapped.  
"Aw, that's cute." the girl rolled her eyes. "You actually made it sound like you're gonna do it yourself. Instead of getting your jock boyfriend to do everything for you."  
"Keep Mihile out of this." Mercedes said.

"Keep me out of what, babe?" another voice called out.

We turned once more to see a large, surfer-body boy walk up to us. He was extremely handsome, with golden hair and sea-blue eyes on his chiseled face. His tank-top revealed his muscular arms and the outline of his well-toned abs were quite prominent as well. Mercedes immediately let go of me and jumped into his arms, giving him a passionate kiss.

" _Ew. Mercedes and Mihile? Gross."_

"It's nothing, baby." Mercedes said. "Just some stupid freshman. Walk me to class?"

Mihile turned to look at me, and he scowled at me.

"Listen, _freshman_. You bother my babe again, and I'm gonna _pound_ you. Understand?" he said coldly. "Babe! Let's go."

Mercedes made sure to flip her hair in my face before turning on her heels and walking away with Mihile, with Danika following suit.

"You all right?" the girl asked me.  
"Yeah, f-fine." I stammered.  
"Don't worry about Mihile." she said to me. "He's on the football team, and my best friend is the captain. I'll make sure he doesn't give you any trouble."  
"Thanks." I said, giving her a smile. "I'm Shade."  
"Shade Nova? So you must be Magnus Nova's son. My name's Aran. Aran Evergreen. Nice to meet you."

She grabbed my hand and crushed it in what she probably thought was a friendly handshake. I tried to bite back the cry of pain that was coming from my mouth, but I still let out a small squeak. Aran looked fairly amused.

"Sorry 'bout that. I'm pretty strong for my age." she laughed.  
"I noticed." I said.

" _I remember that you once wrestled a Crimson Balrog to the ground just because Phantom dared you to. That poor Crimson Balrog..."_

Just then, a loud bell rang. The students who were still lingering in the hallways started racing to class.

"Woah, is it time already?" Aran asked. "Hey, what's your first class?"  
"Um..." I quickly checked my schedule. "I have English with Mr. Tristan."  
"Oh, me too! Race you to class!" Aran laughed.

She quickly pushed past me and started sprinting down the hallway. I smiled and shook my head a bit, before running after her.

* * *

After English, I had Geometry, History, and Biology class. I saw a few others familiar faces along the way. But something was very wrong. After Mihile, I met Oz, Irena, Hawkeye, and Eckhart, but they all seemed unaware of each other, as if they'd never met at all. I saw a boy walking in the halls, and he looked a bit like Phantom, but I couldn't find Evan or Luminous anywhere.

" _It's as if all of Maple World's friendships and relationships were torn apart."_

What was more, I met another one of the Black Mage's commanders - or at least his former commander - the Demon. He noticed me, but didn't seem to acknowledge me at all. Or anyone, for that matter. His eyes were sunken and gaunt, as if he hadn't slept in days. And his brother, Damien, wasn't anywhere to be found. I wanted to talk to him, but without more information on what happened to everyone, I decided against it.

" _I really need to find someone who remembers their life in Maple World. Or at least someone who can help me figure out what's going on. I wonder if Zero, Rhinne, Alicia - any of the Transcendents - are here. Maybe they could tell me what happened. But more importantly, I need to make sure that I'm not in danger here. I know that I can't use my powers, but if the Black Mage is here as well, this whole world I'm in could be one of his plots. I remember Zero telling me that the Black Mage created a Mirror World to imprison him. Could this be another world that he created to imprison all of us? Or is this something more complicated? Ugh, this is so confusing! I need answers!"_

Just then, the bell rang to signal the end of class. My stomach grumbling meant that it had to be lunch time. I walked among the sea of people headed towards the cafeteria.

"Shade! Hey, Shade!" a voice called out.

I looked around to find Aran sitting at a table, waving her hands at me. Grinning, I pushed past the crowd to sit with her. There was another person who sat at the table as well: a scrawny boy with dyed light-blue hair that matched his eyes. He wore a red shirt and worn-out brown cargo shorts.

"Shade, this is my friend - Kyle Helios. Kyle, this is Shade Nova." she said.  
"Nice to meet you!" Kyle exclaimed, shaking my hand eagerly.

 _"Kyle... that name sounds familiar. Wasn't there a Kyle from Pantheon? He said that he was something called a Kaiser."_

"Nice to meet you too, Kyle." I said.

 _"Maybe he knows someone else from Pantheon here. Wasn't he going out with some pink chick with that perverted dragon spirit? Angelic Buster, I think. But what was her name? I think it was Tea. Or Tinsel._ Tear! _I remember now!_ "

"Hey, Kyle. Do you know a girl named Tear?" I asked.  
"N-no! Why? Do _you_ know her? Did she mention me?" Kyle said, his face reddening.  
Aran giggled, "No, you idiot. Didn't I tell you last period? Shade just transferred here. He doesn't know anyone. Much less your _cru~ush._ "  
"S-shut up, Aran!" Kyle squeaked. "I don't like Tear. I just think she's really awesome. And she has really nice hair that bobs whenever she walks. And she likes shiny things. And she has a cute little laugh whenever she hears a really funny joke. And her eyes are green like perfectly cut emeralds..."

" _Damn, that kid's got it bad."_

"Whatever." Aran stuck her tongue out at him. "Anyways, I'm planning on heading to the park afterschool. You guys wanna come?"  
"Sorry, my parents are making me go to some fancy restaurant tonight." Kyle said glumly.  
"Yeah, I can't come either." I lied. "I have a lot of chores that I need to do before my dad gets home."  
"Boo, you guys are no fun." Aran pouted.

Just then, the PA system turned on, and a raspy female voice said: "Attention students. Please make your way to the auditorium immediately. Principal Black has an important back-to-school announcement regarding a major policy change. Thank you."

There was a clatter of noise as the students got up to throw away their lunches and leave for the auditorium. Aran, Kyle, and I silently got up and made our way to the auditorium with the other students. After a few minutes, all the students had been seated and the noise died down. A tall, thin man walked up the stage and stood behind a podium. He wore a pitch-black suit with a blood-red tie and leather gloves. His face was pale and grey, but the most shocking features were his fiery orange eyes.

" _The Black Mage..."_

"Good afternoon, students. For those of you who don't know, my name is Principal Black. Now, you must all be wondering why I called you all here. I have an important change in school policy which will undoubtedly affect each and every one of you. Some time before the school year began, school administrators received death threats from an unknown person or persons. And so this year, the school will be conducting random and mandatory interrogation of every student and staff member in the school while the local police investigate these threats."

There was immediately an outbreak of muttering among the students. A frown creased on Principal Black's lips.

"Silence! Now, this policy will be rendered effective immediately for the protection of all students and faculty. Starting today, suspicious characters will be called to my office to determine their culpability. In light of this announcement, you are all dismissed early today."

There was a general cheer from the students as they scrambled to leave as quickly as they could. Aran and Kyle walked out the door with me.

"Death threats? I never heard anything about this from the news." Aran said.  
"Maybe the police kept the media quiet about it so that people wouldn't panic." Kyle explained.

" _Or maybe this is a cover story he made up to hide his real goal. What if he just wants to interrogate us to see if anyone has their old memories?"_

 _"_ Excuse me." the raspy voice of the PA announcer called. "Shade Nova and Aran Evergreen?"  
"Yeah." I said hesitantly.  
"Principal Black would like to see you both immediately in his office."

My heart pounded hard in my chest. Apparently, Aran's was too, because her tanned face completely paled.

"Follow me, please."

We followed the secretary into the office, where she led us to the principal's door.

"He's waiting for you inside." she said curtly.

Aran softly opened the door and we both walked inside. Principal Black was sitting on his desk with a tiny smile on his face.

"Ah yes. Take a seat, both of you." he said. "Now, there's no need to panic. I have not called you in regard to the announcement I made earlier. I believe we have a lead in the identity of the person who made the threats. I am going to show you three photographs, and I want you to tell me if you know these people."

He showed us the first one: a middle-aged woman with grey-blonde hair in a white dress.

" _Rhinne_... so she _is_ in this world."

Aran shook her head, and I did my best to look equally confused.

Principal Black's eyes flickered to me for a second before showing us the second picture: a little girl with flowing golden ringlets of hair, adorned in a green dress with her hands folded in prayer.

" _Alicia..._ "

This time, I was sure that Principal Black was looking at me. Slowly, he took out the last photograph: a tall, menacing figure in a black and gold robe, with glowing orange eyes.

" _The Black Mage! So he_ does _want to see if we remember. That's why he called me and Aran. I wonder if he called the other Heroes as well."_

"Do any of these people seem familiar? Perhaps a memory? Even a small one may be helpful." he pressed.  
"Um..." Aran softly breathed.  
"Yes?" Principal Black urged.  
"Nothing." Aran said. "It was just... I think I might've seen the last one... in a dream. But that's stupid, right?"

" _Damnit, Aran! Why'd you have to say that? Now he's gonna be even more suspicious of you."_

"Yes... probably." he sighed. "But if you really don't remember anything substantial, then that will be all."

Aran got up and immediately left the room. I started heading for the door, when suddenly: "Mr. Nova, a word please."

I turned to see Principal Black staring at me with deep intent.

"Bear in mind, as you spend the next four years in this school, that I am a very powerful and intelligent man. Whatever lies you may tell me, however you may attempt to deceive me, I will always know. And some consequences for your actions may very well _transcend_ academic discipline. That is all."

I nodded before leaving as quickly as I could. And as I lay awake in my bed that night, the shades pulled down, I wondered not about how I got to this world, or what the Black Mage's plan was, but about my new life here - and how I hoped that perhaps I wouldn't be forgotten here, that perhaps I could finally be the hero that everyone would remember.


	2. Shinsoo's Return

**Chapter 2: Shinsoo's Return**

 **Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter, and I've gotta say that I'm getting really excited about writing this story! This chapter is a bit different because it's actually gonna take place in Maple World, set right after the events of Black Heaven. I'm planning on alternating the setting between Maple World and the other world each chapter because it's all going to fit together and make sense as the story gets toward the end. Basically, these chapters are gonna be flashbacks to everyone's life in Maple World, and they'll explain exactly how and why they ended up in the other world. Apart from that, please make sure to leave a review (I love getting feedback) and enjoy!**

To be honest, I really didn't expect to be eating cake three hours ago. I was thinking something along the lines of " _Gelimer succeeded in his plan to convert Maple World into a hive mind led by a former spirit of darkness through highly dangerous neurotoxins"_ but hey, I'm not complaining. The Alliance's conference room had been decorated with balloons and streamers, which Oz kept as part of her emergency-party-kit. We were all sitting at our tables and talking about how nice it was to still have consciousnesses that weren't controlled by Lotus, and life seemed pretty good. The guest of honor, of course, was that Adventurer who stopped Gelimer from launching the the Black Heaven bombings. Needless to say, it was a nice break for the Heroes not to be worshiped as paragons of virtue for once. Phantom was, obviously, entertaining the Empress with card tricks while Luminous grumbled to Aran about how low-life thieves had no business pestering royalty. Evan was being as subtle as a flying Balrog, sneaking glances at an oblivious Mercedes, while Mir attempted to steal everyone's cake. I was twirling my fork in my hands, hoping that the party would end soon, when suddenly a figure appeared in the sky. We all began to notice it as it came closer, its rather large wings flapping furiously.

"Neinheart, is that...?" Cygnus breathed.  
"It can't be..." Neinheart whispered.

The whispers turned into murmurs, with everyone wondering the same thing: " _Shinsoo?"_

The winged creature nearly reached us, and now there was no mistaking the white feathers on his body or the gleaming blue gem on his forehead. Shinsoo landed roughly on the grass and groaned softly. His body was bruised and bleeding, and many of his feathers were ripped out from his skin.

"Shinsoo!" Cygnus cried, racing across to meet him.  
"Cygnus..." Shinsoo groaned softly.  
"What happened to you?" Cygnus asked him. "Are you hurt?"

She closed her eyes and put a hand on Shinsoo. A light glow emanated from her hand and spread through Shinsoo's body. The wounds and gashes slowly healed and disappeared. Shinsoo opened his eyes and looked faintly at the Empress. By now, the others had caught up to her and stared in awe and shock.

"Shinsoo," Cygnus said. "Are you all right?"  
"I did not succeed in my quest." Shinsoo said softly. "I have failed you, Cygnus."  
"Wait, what quest?" a young boy asked. "What's the big bird talking about?"

Internally suppressing the urge to groan, we turned to face a tanned boy with white spiked hair and a monkey perched on his shoulders. The self-proclaimed Cannoneer: king of all pirates, lord of primates, and an all-around annoyance. Luminous was the only person tolerant enough to indulge him. Of course, anyone who still hadn't killed themselves after being on the top of Phantom's 'list-of-people-to-bother' for over three hundred years would have to have had remarkable amounts of patience and self-restraint.

"When the Empress awakened her powers as the Transcendent of Life, Shinsoo left Ereve in order to find a way to suppress her powers so that she wouldn't become a danger to herself and others." he explained.  
"So then he found a way to do that?" the Cannoneer asked.  
"Haven't you been listening, boy?" Luminous snapped. "Shinsoo just said that he could not finish his quest. Even Phantom has better listening skills than you."  
"What was that, Lumi?" Phantom asked with a smirk.  
"Shut up, I'm not going to repeat myself." Luminous said. "And I'd like everyone to understand that I still loathe you."  
"Love you too, Lumi." Phantom said cheekily.

" _Get a room._ _"_

"Okay, you two can go screw each other later." Aran said, to general laughter. "Right now, I think we have a more important issue. What happened, Shinsoo?"

"As the Mage of Light just explained, I left nearly a year ago to find a means to tame Cygnus' uncontrolled power. I scoured both Maple World and Grandis, and my search took me to the Temple of Time. But I foolishly walked into a trap set by the Black Mage, where I was tortured and interrogated for nearly a century, confined within a time loop constructed by the Black Mage. His Commanders forced themselves into my mind, and discovered that Cygnus became the Transcendent of Life. Eventually, I managed to fight my way through the time prison, but my powers were greatly depleted. I made my way back to Ereve because it is crucial that I tell you: the Black Mage is coming for you, Cygnus. He seeks to take your powers for his own, just as he did with Rhinne over three centuries ago, and he will stop at nothing to do this."

"What?" Neinheart asked in shock. "But there must be something we can do! Our Empress' life is in danger!"  
"Wake up, monocle-man! This is the _Black Mage_ we're talking about!" the Cannoneer cried. "We don't stand a chance again someone that powerful!"  
"I fear for your life, Empress." Claudine agreed. "The Black Mage won't just take your powers: he will _destroy_ you."

Claudine didn't sound particularity fearful at all, contrary to what she said. It was probably because of the bad blood between the Resistance and the Cygnus Knights, or simply just due to a general dislike of the Empress, whose face grew fearful with each second.

"As hopeless as our situation seems, I believe that there is a way to ensure our victory." Shinsoo said. "Cygnus, you must complete your awakening, and inherit the full powers of a Transcendent. The World Tree, Alicia, was once the Transcendent of Life. She can teach you how to master your abilities. With your powers and the combined strength of our allies, we can succeed in destroying the Black Mage once and for all."

The general murmur silenced immediately. We were all overcome by blank shock.

" _Am I hearing this right? Is Shinsoo actually_ encouraging _Cygnus to resort to violence?"_

"That's absurd." Luminous was the first to break the silence.

Immediately, a clamor arose from the throng, with everyone shouting and screaming their own opinion.

" _SIIIIILEEENNCEEE_!" Neinheart's voice rose above everyone else's. "Evidently, this is a matter of immediate discussion. On behalf of the Empress, I am calling an emergency meeting of the Knights of Cygnus in the conference room. The celebration is over. Representatives and ambassadors, please escort yourselves out."

"And who gave you the authority to dismiss any of us?" Claudine challenged.  
"All subjects of the Empress remain subject to Ereveian law. As Chief Tactician, I speak on behalf of the Empress, and her word is dictum. And thus, I order all of you to leave immediately!" Neinheart thundered.  
"So this is how it is?" Claudine asked. "You're just going to use some legal code to bully us into doing whatever you want?"  
"I am acting in the best interest of Maple World, and right now, it is _imperative_ that I set up an emergency meeting, which you all all obstructing. _Please. Leave._ " he seethed.

" _This isn't going to end well._ "

"You know, I thought that the Alliance would have made things different. I thought that maybe, just maybe, Ereve and the Resistance could've buried the hatchet and worked together. But I guess some things never change. All you're ever going to be is a monocle-wearing tyrant acting for a little girl who thinks she has any right to be a world leader."

"You will hold your tongue, wench!" Mihile cried, drawing his sword.

Immediately, Claudine pulled out her switchblade and assumed a defensive stance. The Cygnus Knights and the Resistance leaders all pulled out their weapons as well.

"Everyone, there's no need for violence!" Phantom cried out. "Let's keep calm and put the weapons down."  
"For once, I agree with the thief." Luminous said. "We mustn't lose our heads."  
"Indeed." Mercedes agreed. "We can work out a diplomatic solution so that we can resume focus on the problem at hand."

Slowly, everyone lowered their weapons. Phantom let out a soft sigh, stowing away the card that he had inconspicuously drawn out for a last-resort. Neinheart, though still looking murderous, clenched his jaw and thought for a moment.

"Very well. This meeting is now a matter for the Maple Alliance, not simply an Erevian affair." he consented. " _However_ , no more than three representatives from each party may attend, so choose wisely who you wish to send."

He swished his cloak and headed toward the conference room with the other representatives.

"So, who wants to go for the boring meeting?" Phantom asked.  
"This isn't a joke, Phantom." Luminous snapped. "And even you can't be so dense that you haven't noticed we're on the brink of a civil war."  
"A civil war?" Evan asked, aghast. "But it can't be that serious, can it?"  
"Yeah, I don't understand either." Aran said. "Don't Neinheart and Claudine always go at it? Why is it different this time?"

Luminous and Mercedes looked at each other for some time, each silently urging the other to answer. Finally, Mercedes sighed and accepted defeat in the staring match.

"What you have to understand, both of you, is that politics are some of the most dangerous things in Maple World. Each faction in the Alliance has a different goal, and they'll do whatever it takes to achieve it. For us, the only thing we care about is to stop the Black Mage. The Nova want military aid to defeat Magnus' army. The leaders of Victoria Island want recognition and offer their support to help Cygnus. But the two biggest factions in the Alliance are the Cygnus Knights and the Resistance, and therein lies the problem. The two already have a sticky history, when the Cygnus Knights withdrew their support and unwittingly allowed the Black Wings to take over Edelstein. The Resistance has harbored ill-will toward Cygnus and her knights ever since. And the other side has an even larger history as well: Maple World has been ruled by an Empress long before the Heroes or the Black Mage existed. Her rule has been legitimized over centuries only because she's taken the welfare of her people seriously, and those who serve the throne are completely loyal to her. In the eyes of Neinheart and the Knights, the Empress is the only one who has the authority to rule Maple World, and centuries of nobility and victories have only solidified their self-righteous beliefs. And one day, the Black Mage came along and nearly destroyed the world. Ereve disappeared from the world for nearly as long as we have, and it returned to a world divided and run in small districts, in the case of Victoria Island, and people sparsely scattered around the rest of the globe. Cygnus struggled for nearly a decade to regain her Empire's former glory, and it's not helping that her powers have diminished so much that she has to recognize a rebel insurgency group as a legitimate ally. Although Cygnus is a child, and most likely doesn't understand or believe in any of these prejudices, those who advise her and help make decisions do, and are embittered by this, so much that they'll do whatever it takes to regain their old status and prestige. That's why they're so keen to make alliances with us and otherworldly travelers: they want powerful, dignified allies who can help them on their way to power. But the Resistance isn't going to let them do any of this: if the Black Mage weren't such a serious problem, they would have rebelled and tried to overthrow the Empress. What Neinheart did today - call in the Empress' authority as law - is exactly what the Resistance despises. They see this as nothing less than what the Black Mage does. And if civil war does come, both sides are going to look to us for support."

Evan looked dazed and confused by this large explanation, while Aran attempted to process it all with her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Luminous nodded in approval at Mercedes just as Phantom woke up theatrically, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Luminous punched Phantom's shoulder at this, and immediately winced in pain at contact with the thief's muscular biceps. Phantom laughed until Mercedes smacked the back of his head, throwing a scathing look at him.

"But then, if we have to choose sides," Evan said abruptly. "What are we going to do?"  
"If such a time comes, we will remain neutral." Luminous said firmly. "We will not get involved in a conflict between the people we protect."  
"But for now, we should decide who's going to attend the conference." Mercedes said. "Don't worry too much about it, Evan."

She smiled reassuringly at the Dragon Master, and turned to chastise Phantom (who had begun making faces behind Luminous' back), so that she couldn't see the faint blush that tinged Evan's cheeks.

" _Mercedes and Evan... I support this. Very much."_

"I think that Mercedes, Evan, and Phantom should go." I said.  
" _Phantom?_ " Luminous asked, shocked.  
" _Me?_ " Phantom cried, equally aghast.  
"Mercedes should go for obvious reasons - she's the Queen of Elves, and is in good favor with both Cygnus and the Resistance. Evan should go because he needs to understand exactly how politics play out in the real world - and the sooner, the better. And Phantom needs to go, because as annoying as he can be, he's better than anyone of us here at diffusing hostile situations."

" _Not to mention that he's had the most experience dealing with Empresses than the rest of us."_

"As much as I'll regret it... I agree." Luminous said.  
"As do I." Mercedes seconded.  
"But I don't _want_ to goooo." Phantom whined.

He winced in pain as Mercedes dragged him by the ear, with Evan and Mir snickering after them. I waited until they went inside before grinning and turning to Aran and Luminous.

"Well, now that _that's_ taken care of - who wants to sneak in with me?" I asked.  
"I'm in!" Aran cried immediately.  
"S-sneak in? Shade, have you gone mad?" Luminous spluttered. "I knew that Phantom was a bad influence on you!"  
"Relax, Lumi - it'll be fine." I reassured him. "Besides, this way, you'll be able to see if Phantom pays attention for yourself."  
"Alright, fine." Luminous consented. "But we better not get caught."

Luminous' red eye glowed bright and he slammed his shining rod on the ground. Darkness enveloped our bodies, transforming us into shadows. We made our way into the conference room undetected. The meeting had already started, and Neinheart was animatedly giving a speech before the various representatives: Claudine, the Demon, and Xenon representing the Resistance; Kanna and Hayato of the Sengoku; the Cannoneer, Jett, and a Dual Blader for the Explorers; Kaiser and the Angelic Buster of the Nova; and Alpha, Beta, and Alicia for the Transcendents, along with the three Heroes.

"I can't hear anything." Aran whispered. "Let's get closer."

We went closer to the conference room until we were near the other Heroes.

"...but how long would it take Cygnus to become a full Transcendent?" Claudine asked.  
"It's hard to say exactly." Alicia explained. "The awakening takes different amounts of time for different people. But generally, from what I've observed, a Transcendent's powers are activated through harsh exposure to the opposite of their sphere of domain."  
"That's what the Nova said about Darmoor!" Kaiser exclaimed. "Fenelle told me that Gerald Darmoor became the Transcendent of Life when he woke up as the sole survivor of the High Flora genocide."  
"Exactly. Darmoor awakened his powers through emotional upheaval from the destruction of his entire race. And I'm sure that Cygnus' awakening resulted from her shock and grief at Shinsoo's death."

"I don't like where this is going." Luminous whispered.  
"Why?" I asked, surprised. "I thought you would've been the first person to support Cygnus' powers."  
"But not if this is the price to pay for mastering them." Luminous said. "She's only a child, and such extreme exposure to death is especially dangerous. It's the breeding ground for darkness and negativity, and it's fatal when magnified by the scale of her powers."  
"Fatal? You mean she'll die?" Aran asked.  
"In a sense." he clarified.

Before Luminous could go on, Kanna stood up from her seat and gazed at Cygnus.

"And what should happen if this Black Mage were to be defeated?" she asked. "What will prevent you from becoming another tyrant like him?"  
"You will show respect when you address the Empress!" Neinheart barked.  
"That's a good question." Claudine said, ignoring the tactician. "Can Cygnus revoke her powers once she's activated them?"  
"That's not how it works." Alicia frowned. "Once Cygnus becomes a Transcendent, she will gain immortality, and her power will remain with her unless they are stolen by another or removed by the Overseers."  
"So then what _will_ stop Cygnus from abusing her power like the Black Mage?" Claudine demanded. "She's barely has legitimacy as an Empress- "  
" _Silence_!" Mihile yelled.  
"There's no use denying it anymore!" Claudine cried. "Why do we even have a monarchy in this age? I'm sure her predecessor was even wors- "

But the rest of Claudine's speech was cut off by Phantom, who in an instant, had his fist clenched around her throat.

"Don't you _dare_ claim to understand Aria." he seethed furiously at Claudine, whose face was slowly turning blue under his crushing grasp.  
"Phantom, that's enough!" Mercedes cried.

Just as Mercedes got up to restrain him, Luminous stepped out of the shadows and shot a beam of light magic at Phantom, sending a sharp heat up the thief's fingers, forcing him to release the Resistance leader.

"What the hell, Luminous?" Aran snapped. "You just blew our cover!"  
"What is this?" Neinheart cried. "Why are you three here? Did I not make myself clear when I said _three_ _representatives only_?"  
"With all due respect, Chief Tactician, but you have no authority to command any of us." Luminous said calmly.  
"Are you deaf, man?" Neinheart thundered. "You are all subjects of Empress Cygnus, and-"  
"Correct. We are subjects under the _Empress -_ not you." Luminous said flatly. "So why don't you allow her to speak for herself?"

Neinheart's face turned red with anger, but as he opened his mouth to retort, Cygnus got up and silenced him with a motion.

"As the Empress of Maple World, I understand that I haven't been leading as well as I should have. I allowed myself to rely on advisers to help me make decisions, telling myself that I was but a child. But this cannot be anymore. If I'm ready to become a Transcendent, then why can't I become an Empress - with my own voice? Starting this day, I vow to uphold the wishes of my people through my _own_ actions - not those that have been forced upon me without my input."

" _She's certainly grown up in the last decade."_

She continued, "I swear to take on the responsibility as both Empress and Transcendent, and I will do whatever it takes to defeat the Black Mage - for Maple World."

The room gave a standing ovation at her words, though the Resistance was far less energetic in their applause.

"With this, I call an end to the meeting. Thank you all for your attendance." she said serenely.

Quite suddenly, I felt myself stretch longer in a fraction of a second. My body transformed into a beam of light, which pulled me away from the conference room; in another instant, I reformed in a familiar room - the bridge of the _Lumiere_.

"What in Rhinne's name was that?" Aran asked.  
"Teleportation." Luminous said. "It was the quickest way, because we have much to discus-"

His words were drowned by the sound of Mir throwing up all over the floor. Phantom let out a small squeak and covered his mouth with his hands, whimpering softly and widening his eyes. Luminous and Mercedes both rolled their eyes as the former waved his hand lazily to make the slightly-smoking puddle vanish.

"As I was saying," Luminous continued. "We need to discuss this these sudden events. I, personally, am very unsettled by the increasing animosity between the Resistance and the Empress."  
"I agree." Mercedes said. "What bothers me most of all is Neinheart's behavior - it's quite unlike him to openly be hostile, even the Resistance."  
"Maybe he's under mind control." Evan suggested. "You know, like some enhanced puppet-control that Francis does, except this time it actually alters his mind."  
"That... quite possible." Luminous said. "We must definitely consider that the Black Mage's forces have penetrated Ereve."  
"But why now?" Phantom asked. "The Black Mage doesn't need to control Neinheart - if he wanted to, he could wave his hand and blow him out of exist- _aannceeee._ "

He faltered when he accidentally made eye contact with me. I smiled to reassure him, trying to hide the pang in my chest at his words.

"I agree." I said. "I don't think the Black Mage would be so subtle as to destabilize the Allian-"  
" _Of course_! How could I not have seen this before?" Aran exclaimed.  
"What?" we all asked.  
"The Black Mage must've _known_ that Cygnus would try to awaken her powers. Luminous, didn't you say that exposure to negative settings creates darkness?"  
"Yes!" Luminous exclaimed. "That must be exactly what he's doing! He knows that he can't stop Cygnus while we have both Alicia and Zero. He wants us to destroy ourselves by allowing Cygnus to become a Transcendent. And with the darkness slowly building up from her surroundings, she would become twisted and corrupted."

" _With Cygnus becoming dark, we'd stand no chance - even with the Transcendent of Time on our side. Unless..."_

 _"_ Didn't the Black Mage create a future in the Temple of Time where Cygnus becomes corrupted?" Mercedes asked.  
"But Rhinne told us that they were created with Dream Stones." Phantom said. "She can't actually turn dark like that, can she?"  
"I'm afraid she can, Phantom." Mercedes said. "With such power as hers, it would be ridiculously easy to give in to dark temptation."  
"I, of all people, ought to know." Luminous agreed. "It's taken me so long to master the darkness, and that's only from years of practicing light magic."

"...unless Luminous uses his Light powers to steer Cygnus away from darkness."  
"What?" everyone asked.  
"Did I just say that out loud?" I asked. "Sorry about that - I spent nearly a century talking to myself since everyone kept um... forgetting me."

There was an uncomfortable pause as everyone suddenly became quiet and looked down in guilt.

"It's fine, everyone. Really." I said. "None of this is your fault, and I don't blame any of you, I promise."

I gave a reassuring smile to them, ignoring the heartache I felt from the memories of loneliness and isolation.

"But anyways, I was thinking about Cygnus going dark. Luminous, you're the Transcendent of Light, right? You can use your powers to keep Cygnus from becoming evil!"  
"...that could work." Mercedes said.  
"No. It can't." Luminous whispered.

We looked in confusion at him. The mage's eyes were filled with shame, and he averted eye contact with any of us.

"Mr. Luminous... what's wrong?" Evan asked.  
"I'm not the Transcendent of Light." Luminous said quietly. "I became corrupted with darkness, and even though I've mastered it, I cannot use my light magic as I could before the curse."  
"But didn't Alicia say that a Transcendent awakens with exposure to their opposite?" Aran asked.  
"I hoped for a time... that the Black Mage's taint would lead to my rebirth. But apparently, the Transcendent of Light's awakening is not as simple as the Transcendent of Life's. I've slowly come to accept that I'll never be whole again - that the darkness will always be there to snuff out whatever light remains in my life."

"Maybe there is a way." Phantom suddenly said. "Evan, do you still have Freud's old notes that Afrien gave you?"  
"Yeah, why?" Evan asked.  
"Freud showed me his research on the Seal Stones when we preparing the fight the Black Mage centuries ago. He discovered a special maple tree, and he used its leaves to create the Seal Stones that we used to seal the Black Mage in the Temple of Time. If we could find that tree, we could make our own Seal Stone and use its power to expel the darkness out of Luminous."  
"Phantom... tha- that's brilliant!" Mercedes cried.  
"It very well may work." Luminous agreed. "But we must swear to keep this to ourselves. We cannot let anyone know about the existence of this tree, even our own allies. The current state of things is extremely delicate, and we don't want to risk anyone abusing the power of the Seal Stones."  
"Let's make an oath." I said. "Just like we did the last time. None of us are the same people we were when we fought the Black Mage all those centuries ago - it's time we changed our pact to reflect it."

We all put our hands together and gathered into a circle.

"I'm not the strong warrior everyone remembers me as. For Rhinne's sake, _I_ don't remember who I used to be. But I swear that I'll do whatever it takes to get my memories back - even if I have to cleave the Black Mage in half with Maha to get them." Aran exclaimed.

"Mir and I have a lot to live up to. From the way everyone talks about them, Freud and Afrien were really strong and smart, and even though I sometimes feel that I can't live up to what they did, we're gonna do our best!" Evan said.

"I'm turned from the Queen of Elves to a ruler without anyone to rule. But even though my people are cursed by the Black Mage, I will honor my vow to protect this world from darkness." Mercedes pledged.

"I used to be a thief - a glamorous, attractive, handsome thief at that - but a thief nonetheless. And it all changed when I met _her_. When she was taken from me, I swore to get my revenge on the man who killed her. I let my revenge blind me, and I turned someone darker and violent than who I used to be. But I learned to let go of revenge, and I now pledge to uphold my promise to Aria - to make the world she believed in a reality." Phantom said.

"When I was tainted with the darkness, I understood, for the first time in my life, what it was to commit evil. It took everything away from me, and I felt powerless for sometime. But I managed to overcome the darkness, and I found my family in the process. And I swear to protect them no matter the cost." said Luminous.

Finally, I went last. "I spent the last three hundred years in dimension after dimension, trying to find somewhere I could fit in - where I wouldn't be forgotten. I didn't become a new person - I was cursed to spend the rest of my life apart from existence itself. Everywhere I try to fit in, I have to sacrifice my friends from somewhere else. And I don't think I can continue doing this after three centuries. But if there's a way to write myself back into the world, I'm going to find it - even if that means laying down my life in the process."

" _And I swear, Black Mage, I_ will _find you. And I'll make you pay for what you've done to us all."_


End file.
